I have a Compaq computer, 3 yr old and a new dell. What is needed to go wireless? Make it simple.?

Answer 1

a wireless card in each machine and a wireless modem/router.

simple.

Answer 2

I am starting with one assumption: You have a broadband connection.

Instead of connecting your modem directly to your computer purchase a wireless router and connect your modem to the WAN port of the router. The broadband signal is now shared wirelessly and through any available Ethernet ports on the router.

To connect the wireless signal put out by your router each computer will need to have a wireless adapter. This could be a pci wireless adapter card or a usb wireless adapter. Once installed each computer should detect the wireless signal which is currently unsecured and open to whoever detects it. Following the directions in the router manual connect to your router and setup your wireless network assigning a signal ID and your encryption and password. Copy this info carefully you will need it to connect to the router once the security features are installed.

(Useful hint when your password is displayed on your screen hit the prtscrn key and paste the image into a word document, that way you can save it for future use.)

With all this info in hand you can set up your wireless connection and have access to the internet on each computer. If you want the computers to "see" each other and share resources you will need to run the network setup wizard on both computers.

Answer 3

I'm guessing you are talking desktop computers. If that is the case, you need wireless cards for both. I usually find the best deals at newegg.com. I bought a wi-fi card for my 5-year old Dell there for about $12 plus shipping. Check your owners manual for what kinds (interface) of cards your computers will take. Most are pretty standard and pretty much any card will work.

For notebooks, you may need to go through Dell or Compaq to see which cards will work with your system. They can tell which ones, sell you the card, and even instruct you how to install them. I put a wi-fi card in my Dell laptop about a year ago and it was a piece of cake. That one cost a little more because I had to buy it through Dell, but it was still only about $45.

If you don't already have a wi-fi router in your network, you will need to buy one. I use a Linksys 54G router and it works great. There are many alternatives, but you need to make sure the one you pick is compatible with the wi-fi cards you get for you computers (802.11a, b, g, or n). 802.11n is the latest craze, but most likely it will not be worth the cost to you, they are quite expensive. You can get 802.11a/b/g cards and routers for less. My router cost about $60, again through newegg.com. The routers are easy to set up and come with instructions to walk you through it. One prefatory note, make sure you don't have any interfering signals (baby monitors, some cordless phones, etc.) as they can preclude you from getting a good wi-fi signal to your computers. It is best to install your wi-fi router in the highest part of your home. Since the wireless network will allow you to put your computer anywhere you like, it is worth it to move your broadband modem to the room that best accomodates your router location.

Good luck and happy wireless surfing!

Answer 4

You'll need a wireless router and a couple of either PCI cards or USB adapters.

If you want to open up the machines and plug in the PCI cards, they are a little cheaper than USB adapters. Either option you choose will still require a wireless router.

Answer 5

all you need is a wireless adsl modem router ,yellow ethernet cable,wireless adapter(which connect the pc's to the router,it's like a usb)and a phone line cable to connect the router to a phone line source.